Abstract: Method for producing a lens array, which can prevent a weld from being formed in the peripheral part of a lens part and suppress increase of a work time of a transfer mold, and a molding mold. Since a master mold 10 of a molding mold has a plurality of linear groove parts 14e surrounding a plurality of cavity parts 12, resin hardly spreads to a corner part 14p where the adjacent linear groove parts 14e and 14e intersect each other and it is possible to prevent portions of the resin which have run over toward the adjacent groove parts 14e and 14e from spreading so as to come close to each other and being brought into contact with each other to create a weld trapping air bubbles.

Abstract: Method for producing a lens array, which can prevent a weld from being formed in the peripheral part of a lens part and suppress increase of a work time of a transfer mold, and a molding mold. Since a master mold 10 of a molding mold has a plurality of linear groove parts 14e surrounding a plurality of cavity parts 12, resin hardly spreads to a corner part 14p where the adjacent linear groove parts 14e and 14e intersect each other and it is possible to prevent portions of the resin which have run over toward the adjacent groove parts 14e and 14e from spreading so as to come close to each other and being brought into contact with each other to create a weld trapping air bubbles.

Abstract: A wafer lens, includes a substrate; and a resin-molded body which is formed with a distance on at least one surface of the substrate and is composed of a hardenable resin material; wherein the resin-molded body includes a lens portion and at least two alignment mark portions, the lens portion includes an optical surface and a lens annular portion formed at a periphery of the optical surface, and the alignment mark portion includes a flat surface portion on which an alignment mark is formed and a mark annular portion formed at a periphery of the flat surface portion, and wherein a volume at an inside of the lens annular portion of the lens portion is made substantially equal to a volume at an inside of the mark annular portion of the alignment mark portion.

Abstract: An optical fiber coupling member and a manufacturing method thereof are provided for reducing a decrease in the coupling efficiency upon coupling of a multi-core fiber with a fiber bundle. A coupling member includes one end in contact with a first optical waveguide that includes a bundle of single cores each covered with a cladding, another end in contact with a second optical waveguide that includes a plurality of cores each covered with a cladding, and a predetermined medium that fills between the one end and the other end. The optical fiber coupling member changes the mode field diameter of each of light rays incident from each optical path of the first optical waveguide. The optical fiber coupling member changes the intervals of the light rays, the mode field diameter of which has been changed, and guides the light rays to the cores of the second optical waveguide.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprising: a drive circuit configured to supply a drive current to a drive coil of a motor; a control circuit configured to control an operation of the drive circuit; a locking protection circuit configured to control an operation of the control circuit so that the drive circuit stops supplying the drive current to the drive coil, if a rotation signal, indicating rotation of the motor, is not generated during a predetermined time period although the drive circuit is supplying the drive current to the drive coil; and a prohibition circuit configured to prohibit the locking protection circuit from controlling the control circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image pickup device, by which cut resistance at the time of cutting a wafer lens is reduced, high production efficiency is maintained, and excellent optical characteristics are obtained. The image pickup device has a first lens block, a second lens block, a spacer, and a sensor unit. The side surface section of the first lens block, the side surface section of the second lens block, and the side surface section of the spacer are formed on the same plane. A lens cover that covers the first and the second lens blocks is provided in a step formed by respective side surface sections of the first lens block, the second lens block and the spacer, and the side surface section of the sensor unit.

Abstract: Provided are a wafer lens production method, an intermediate die, an optical component, a molding die, and a molding die production method. The production method of a wafer lens (1) includes a first intermediate die production step using a die (7), a second intermediate die production step using the first intermediate die (8), and a wafer lens production step using the second intermediate die (9). A first intermediate-die substrate (80) is provided with a depressed section (85) on the surface facing the die (7). When photo-curable resin (84A) is pressed, at least a portion closer to the first intermediate-die substrate (80) among the top (71a) and the peripheral section (77) of the die (7) is arranged in the depressed section (85), and a gap is provided so that the die (7) does not contact with a depressed plane (85a) of the depressed section (85).

Abstract: To provide a lens unit producing method capable for positioning a lens array with high precision over a long period of time, a lens array, and a lens unit. When the first flat surfaces LA1f come in contact with the respective tapered surfaces HLD1, the glass lens array LA1 cannot rotate more than that for the holder HLD. Meanwhile, since the tapered surfaces HLD1 are regulated by the respective opposite first flat surface LA1f, the glass lens array LA1 cannot move more than that relatively to the holder HLD. That is, by holding the glass lens array LA1 with the holder HLD, the glass lens array LA1 can be positioned with high precision for the holder HLD.

Abstract: A machining method of machining a transfer optical surface on a optical element producing die having the transfer optical surface made of a material having Vickers hardness of Hv1500 or more, comprising: machining the transfer optical surface on the optical element producing die by cutting with a cutting tool, wherein a rake face of a tip of a blade of the cutting tool is set with an angle of minus values at an incising point on a surface to be machined.

Abstract: The invention provides a motor with a low speed start function and a soft start function. The motor includes a first pulse generation circuit generating a first pulse signal of which a first duty ratio of one of logic levels is increased as a drive voltage corresponding the target rotation speed of the motor is increased, a second pulse generation circuit generating a second pulse signal of which a second duty ratio of one of logic levels is different from the first duty ratio, and a drive control circuit supplying a drive current to a motor coil at the second duty ratio in order to start the rotation of the motor that is stopping and supplying a drive current to the motor coil at the first duty ratio after a predetermined time passes from the start of the rotation of the motor in response to a rotation signal corresponding to the rotation of the motor.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit is configured to drive a motor coil based on duty ratio of a PWM signal, and includes a first pulse signal generating circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal for each time period, the time period being equal to 1/n of a time period during which the PWM signal is at one logic level, a counter configured to change a count value based on the first pulse signal, a drive signal output circuit configured to output a drive signal of one logic level when the count value is not a predetermined value and output the drive signal of the other logic level when the count value reaches the predetermined value, a drive circuit configured to perform PWM driving for the motor coil based on the duty ratio of the drive signal, and a setting circuit.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit configured to supply drive currents to drive coils with a plurality of phases of a motor to drive the motor, includes: a trapezoidal wave signal generation circuit configured to output a trapezoidal wave signal whose inclination is changed with a rotation speed of the motor or a target rotation speed of the motor; and a plurality of output transistors configured to output the drive current to the drive coils, respectively, in accordance with the trapezoidal wave signal.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit is configured to drive a motor based on first and second position detection signals opposite in phase to each other, the signals having a frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the motor and indicating a rotational position of the motor. The circuit includes a first level-shift circuit, a second level-shift circuit, a timing detecting circuit, and an output circuit. The first level-shift circuit is configured to shift a level of at least either one of the first and second position detection signals so that a first period, during which a first output signal corresponding to the first position detection signal is higher in level than a second output signal corresponding to the second position detection signal, becomes longer than a second period, during which the second output signal is higher in level than the first output signal.

Abstract: A motor-driving circuit includes: a plurality of output transistors; a first-comparator circuit to compare a voltage of each phase of driving coils of a plurality of phases in a motor, with a neutral-point voltage; a position-detecting circuit to detect a rotor position of the motor based on a comparison result of the first-comparator circuit; a switching-control circuit to supply switching signals to the plurality of output transistors according to the rotor position; and a current-limiting circuit to limit the driving currents to a first-current value so that the motor rotates at a target-rotation speed when the current-limiting circuit determines that the motor is rotating at a speed higher than or equal to a predetermined-reference-rotation speed, and limit the driving currents to a second-current value smaller than the first-current value when the current-limiting circuit determines that the motor is not rotating at the speed higher than or equal to the predetermined-reference-rotation speed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image pickup device, by which cut resistance at the time of cutting a wafer lens is reduced, high production efficiency is maintained, and excellent optical characteristics are obtained. The image pickup device has a first lens block, a second lens block, a spacer, and a sensor unit. The side surface section of the first lens block, the side surface section of the second lens block, and the side surface section of the spacer are formed on the same plane. A lens cover that covers the first and the second lens blocks is provided in a step formed by respective side surface sections of the first lens block, the second lens block and the spacer, and the side surface section of the sensor unit.

Abstract: A cutting tool including a cutting blade, a shank section, and a supporting member for supporting and fixing the cutting blade, the cutting blade being fixed on one end of the supporting member, and the other end of the supporting member being fixed to the shank section, wherein a void formed among the shank section, the cutting blade, and the supporting member is filled with a filling agent.

Abstract: A motor speed control circuit includes: a first determining circuit configured to determine whether a rotation speed of a motor is higher than a set first rotation speed based on a speed signal corresponding to the rotation speed; a second determining circuit configured to determine whether the rotation speed is higher than a set second rotation speed, which is higher than the first rotation speed, based on the speed signal; and a drive signal output circuit configured to output to a drive circuit configured to drive the motor a drive signal for increasing the rotation speed when the rotation speed is lower than the first rotation speed and decreasing the rotation speed when the rotation speed is higher than the second rotation speed, based on determination results of the first and second determining circuits.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprising: a drive circuit configured to supply a drive current to a drive coil of a motor; a control circuit configured to control an operation of the drive circuit; a locking protection circuit configured to control an operation of the control circuit so that the drive circuit stops supplying the drive current to the drive coil, if a rotation signal, indicating rotation of the motor, is not generated during a predetermined time period although the drive circuit is supplying the drive current to the drive coil; and a prohibition circuit configured to prohibit the locking protection circuit from controlling the control circuit.

Abstract: An invention for producing a wafer lens is disclosed in which a cured resin is prevented from having projection portions or unfilled sections. The method comprises a dispense step in which resin is dropped onto a die having plural cavities arranged to leave spaces therebetween, an alignment step in which the positions of the die and a glass substrate are adjusted, an imprint step in which one of the die and the glass substrate is pressed against the other, a curing step in which the resin is cured, and a release step in which the glass substrate is released from the die, the steps from the dispense step to the separation step being repeated as one cycle to successively form plastic lens portions on the glass substrate, wherein in the alignment step in each cycle, the cavities of the die are placed between the formed lens parts.

Abstract: Provided are a wafer lens production method, an intermediate die, an optical component, a molding die, and a molding die production method. The production method of a wafer lens (1) includes a first intermediate die production step using a die (7), a second intermediate die production step using the first intermediate die (8), and a wafer lens production step using the second intermediate die (9). A first intermediate-die substrate (80) is provided with a depressed section (85) on the surface facing the die (7). When photo-curable resin (84A) is pressed, at least a portion closer to the first intermediate-die substrate (80) among the top (71a) and the peripheral section (77) of the die (7) is arranged in the depressed section (85), and a gap is provided so that the die (7) does not contact with a depressed plane (85a) of the depressed section (85).